


Lost Boy

by RensSaxophone



Category: Uta no Prince-sama
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-01
Updated: 2020-06-01
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:34:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24491359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RensSaxophone/pseuds/RensSaxophone
Summary: This is a continuation of one of my other fics- a song fic. It's a lot of angst.
Relationships: Ichinose Tokiya/Kurosaki Ranmaru
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is an (edited) version of a fic I've written before, in my song fics, based off of the song "Lost Boy" by Ruth B.

Tokiya was a strange child with a wild imagination and an avid love for reading. He would spend all day with a book in front of his nose, because he liked book characters better than he liked the other kids his age. He had tried to play with them, but Tokiya had never quite fit in, and Tokiya had become a very withdrawn child. 

He overheard the adults wondering why he was so shy. Tokiya didn’t think that he was shy. He had tried to make friends, it just never seemed to work out. 

Tokiya’s favorite book right now was Peter Pan. He read that book often, to the point that it was much more scuffed and worn than any other book on his shelf. He’d often dream of leaving his home, to live with the Lost Boys. To become one, far away from here. 

And then, at night, Tokiya would sit by the window and stare up at the moon. The moonlight wasn’t enough to read by, so he’d just watch it, imagining that there was someone else, just like him, sitting on the moon. Just as lonely as Tokiya always was. 

They were friends, Tokiya and that imaginary child. They would talk to each other until Tokiya fell asleep, having conversations back and forth in Tokiya’s head. He had to remain quiet, to make sure that no one heard him and made him go to sleep. It wasn’t often that Tokiya got to speak to anyone his own age. 

But morning would always come to take away his friend. And some nights, no matter how hard Tokiya might try, there were too many clouds to find the moon, or it was hidden from his window, or too dull to see. Tokiya missed it, on nights it wasn’t there. 

Tokiya didn’t feel like he belonged here. He had no friends at home, and his mother wasn’t his friend, and his mother’s friends weren’t his friends, either. They looked at him with pity. The poor, shy boy that can’t make any friends. All they had to tell him was what he was doing wrong. They didn’t believe him when he told them that it wasn’t his fault. That it was the other kids that wouldn’t talk to him. 

They told him he wasn’t trying hard enough. That charisma was the most important thing a child his age could have, and that he’d need to leave this shy phase soon if he wanted to be successful. 

Tokiya didn’t feel like he belonged. 

Tokiya wondered if he would ever find a place that he did.

And then one night Tokiya had been sitting in front of the window, though his eyes would narrow when he’d notice a child- one that seemed to be around his age, playing outside. Tokiya would watch the child for a long moment, and he’d open his window. The noise draws the other kid’s attention, and he’d give Tokiya a bright smile. 

The boy approaches Tokiya’s window, and Tokiya’s eyebrows furrow. 

“Hi!” The boy walks until he’s face to face with Tokiya. 

Tokiya blinks. “Why are you outside? It’s really late.”

“I was playing. Night’s the best time to do it.”

Tokiya takes in the kid’s smile. It was happy, and carefree, and friendly. It was a smile Tokiya had never gotten before. 

“Can we talk for a while? I like making new friends.”

“...But I don’t even know your name.”

**He said, “Peter Pan, that’s what they call me.”**

His smile turns almost teasing. Tokiya notices that the boy is looking at the book, that’s lying in the open on the table near his bed, a bit further in the room. 

“And why would they call you that?”

The boy’s smile never drops, even at Tokiya’s deadpan reaction. “Because I make friends with kids that are lost, like me. So that they don’t feel so alone.”

Tokiya liked that answer, but it wasn’t like him to give in so quickly. Not even to a boy like this. 

“What’s your real name?”

The boy’s smile widens into a grin, and he laughs, though it’s a pretty quiet laugh. “It’s Ren.”

Tokiya stays quiet for a long while. “I’m Tokiya.”

“Well, Tokiya.” Ren lays his arms down on Tokiya’s windowsill, resting his chin on the top of his forearm. “Now that we’re friends **I promise that you’ll never be lonely.** Not anymore.” 

They would have spoken almost the entire rest of the night. Tokiya can’t remember the last time he had laughed the way he had that night.

“You don’t speak like most kids.” Ren comments, somewhere into the hour mark of their conversation. 

“I read a lot. And I don’t talk to a lot of kids, either.” Tokiya says, almost a bit awkwardly. “I mostly talk to grown ups.”

“I think it’s cool.” Tokiya liked Ren’s smile. Ren seemed to smile often. 

That night, Tokiya hadn’t even thought of his imaginary friend on the moon.

Hanging out with Ren had started to happen on a daily basis. Tokiya finally had a friend, and he was ecstatic about it. At first, they talked during the night, when Tokiya would see Ren outside, playing. But then, Ren starts coming around during the day. 

At first, Tokiya reads, cross legged on the ground outside, his back pressed against a tree, and Ren plays by himself in the same area as Tokiya. Ren often offers an invitation for Tokiya to join him, but Tokiya usually shoots him down. Tokiya never really played the way the other kids did. 

Tokiya isn’t sure what changed his mind. 

But one day Ren would have suggested that they play together. “We can play anything you want.” Ren is kneeling besides Tokiya. Ren had told Tokiya that Tokiya didn’t talk like a normal kid, but Ren didn’t act like one, either. Whenever Tokiya told him no, Ren always just accepted it. He didn’t huff and puff or get mad at Tokiya for being boring. He just dropped it and tried again the next day. “We could pretend we’re in one of your books.” 

This was something Ren suggested often. It was probably the best bet Ren had of getting Tokiya to play with him. 

Tokiya gets quiet for a moment, and then he’d place his bookmark into his book, setting it down on the grass. “Okay.” 

Ren smiles widely, clearly excited. “What do you want to play?”

“Let’s do Peter Pan.” Tokiya says, not much thought involved. And then he’d smile, the best teasing smile that Tokiya could manage. “Since you’re already him.”

Ren laughs, and he’d bounce to his feet. Tokiya gets up, less enthusiastically, though not unwilling. 

They weren’t out in the open, but rather in a small patch of trees near Tokiya’s house. It was Tokiya’s secret spot, to avoid everyone else and read. He had no problem sharing it with Ren. That day, they’d play. Tokiya would be a lost boy, and Ren would be Peter Pan, and they’d run, and try to hide from Captain Hook, all while having amazing adventures. Tokiya often found himself smiling. 

That wasn’t the last day they played together. Tokiya rarely even brought a book out to play after a while. 

It was lucky that Ren was almost always available, though Tokiya had never been to his house. Ren hadn’t ever been inside of Tokiya’s either. 

But Tokiya got into the habit of being almost reliant on Ren. Being with Ren made him happy, because he felt free, and he felt like himself. 

He’d start excusing himself from conversations that drift into the territory of how Tokiya acted. Of how his mother wishes he acted more like a normal kid, and her friends would tell him that he needs to be more friendly. He’d leave to go outside. 

‘Lost Boy’ had become Tokiya’s new nickname, but it wasn’t a good thing. It wasn’t meant the way he meant it in his head. The way Ren meant it when he’d use it as a nickname for Tokiya. 

Tokiya guesses he _was_ running away from his problems, but he was leaving to something that made him happy. He didn’t think it was that bad. 

What did it matter that he was running from reality? Wasn’t imagination normal for a child?

Tokiya didn’t see the problem, but they certainly made it out to be one. All of the time that he was spending outside should have been a good thing, but it turned into a topic of gossip for his mother and her friends. Tokiya often heard them talking when he wasn’t in the room. Just like the others kids at school, when they saw him. When they thought he wasn’t listening. 

Just because he was quiet didn’t mean he wasn’t there. He still knew exactly what they were saying. 

He’d do his best to ignore it. 

It wasn’t only the adults, either. But when his fellow classmates called him ‘Lost boy’ they meant it as an insult. Tokiya knew that. 

They’d tease him about it. About how he didn’t act like them. About how he was alone. 

They never directly said it, but Tokiya knew what they meant. 

He was a lost boy, and he didn’t belong. He knew he didn’t belong there, but there had to be somewhere he could go.

“One day we’ll leave.” Ren promises Tokiya, on yet another day he would go to the small patch of woods, upset. “We’ll find our Neverland, and we’ll both be happy.” 

Tokiya wipes at the frustrated tears in his eyes, and he’d find it in himself to smile. He’d nod. “I’d like that.”

“Our time is coming, Toki. Soon.” Ren is leaning against a tree, opposite from the tree that Tokiya’s leaning on. “We can be free.”

“We can be free.” Tokiya echoes, agreeing.

Tokiya was growing older by the day, and every day brought a new feeling of hopelessness. A new nagging thought that maybe he wouldn’t ever leave. That all of the talk of his Neverland that he was going to find with Ren was just as fake as the story of Peter Pan was. 

Ren must have been able to read Tokiya better than Tokiya thought he could. 

Despite the years moving on, Ren and Tokiya still spend a lot of time in the small patch of woods. And the day where Tokiya had felt miserable, Ren had crouched down in front of him, and had given him a soft smile. It reminded Tokiya of a younger Ren. The type of Ren that he had met years ago. 

Ren holds a hand up, his fingers closed. “You know what this is?”

Tokiya knew for a fact that Ren’s hand was empty. “Your hand…?”

“I meant what’s inside of it, Toki.”

“Nothing. Unless you picked up a rock when I wasn’t watching.”

Ren chuckles. “It’s pixie dust.” His grin is almost goofy now. “You can’t see it, because it’s magic. But it’ll make things better.” Ren winks, and then he’d open his hand- which is, in fact, empty, and he’d blow on his palm. “All you need to do for it to work is to believe.” Ren plops himself on the ground completely, lowering his hand. “You have to believe in me. But even more important than that, you have to believe in you. You can change things, Toki. You’re going to. You just have to keep holding out. And one day we’ll make it.”

Ren’s voice softens. **”One day together we will fly away in a cloud of green to your beautiful destiny.”**

“That was cheesy. But thank you, Ren.”

That day comes only a month after Tokiya had gotten his driver’s license. He had saved all of the money he had gotten for as long as he could remember, and he would take the cheap hunk of junk car he had been given, the one that barely ran but that he had learned to drive in, and he’d pack light and he’d leave, Ren in the passenger seat. 

Tokiya left. He drove, and he drove, not even knowing where he would go, but he knew he was headed in the right direction. He didn’t speak much. Ren didn’t speak much. 

This was the right decision. Tokiya felt a weight off of his chest as soon as he had left the town he had grown up in. He finally felt free. 

He stops for gas three times, and each time Ren begins to get quieter and quieter. 

By the time Tokiya finally stopped for good, Ren had been entirely silent for almost an hour. Tokiya looks at him, and Ren would give him a wide, bright smile. 

“We made it.”

When Tokiya gets out of the car, Ren doesn’t follow. 

Tokiya glances back in, and the passenger seat is empty. 

Tokiya had known, deep down, that it would be. 

Of course Tokiya knew that Ren was fake. But he needed him. He chose to forget that Ren had never been real. But everything Ren had told him was real. It was everything that Tokiya needed to hear. The encouragement Tokiya hadn’t managed to give himself. Or wouldn’t have been able to, without Ren. 

Tokiya would open the door to the driver’s seat, because he can’t stand right now. He’d sit in his car, and he’d break down crying. 

Tokiya was scared, without Ren. 

But he’d continue on. Because Tokiya had made Ren up to help him. And even if Ren wasn’t real, he felt real to Tokiya. He had always felt real to Tokiya. Just because Ren wasn’t with him didn’t mean that Tokiya’s decision wasn’t right. He’d still go through with it, because he had to. For Ren. For himself. If Ren left him, it meant that Tokiya was going to be alright by himself. 

Ren would still be here if Tokiya wouldn’t be alright. 

Ren was that part of himself that wanted Tokiya to be okay. That wanted Tokiya to be happy. Tokiya couldn’t disappoint Ren by giving up now. 

Tokiya’s distracted from his sobbing session by an almost awkward clear of the throat. 

“Hey, uh… Are you alright?”

Tokiya had forgotten to close the door. Well, forgotten was a nice way to put it. Tokiya’s legs were outside of the car. He had really forgotten to get completely inside of his car before he had lost it. Tokiya would take in the man standing in front of him. He looks a bit visibly uncomfortable, but there’s some concern that’s poorly hidden in the expression, too. The man had grey hair, standing up in unnatural spikes, and he had eyes of two different colors. One was the same color of grey as his hair, and the other was a startling pink. Tokiya had stared for a few seconds too long, and he’d blink, trying to blink back his tears, before giving up and just roughly rubbing his hands across his cheeks. His car was parked in front of the cheapest hotel that he could find. 

“Oh, uh, yeah.” Tokiya would smile. It’s a bit too wide, a bit too obviously forced, but a smile nonetheless. “I’m alright. Thank you for asking.”

“Yeah.” The man’s voice was obvious. He didn’t believe Tokiya at all. But he was a stranger- so he’d take the answer. “I er.. Hope things get better for you.”

Tokiya nods, and the man stands still for just a second too long, and he’d take a step back, casting one last look at Tokiya before walking inside of the hotel.

Tokiya wouldn’t have expected that the man who had spoken to him that day would ever mean anything to him, but he was pleasantly surprised that he was wrong. 

The next morning he had been in the lobby. The hotel was incredibly cheap, but Tokiya had found out pretty quickly that it was cheap for a reason. The only nice place in the building was the lobby, but at least they had a pleasant sitting room. And there was wifi. That’s what Tokiya needed. He’d be scrolling on his phone to try to find his next two steps. 

A job, and a living arrangement. 

There weren’t many taken rooms in this inn, and looking around the lounge area, it looked like most of the people staying in the inn had chosen to go to this room. There were a few couches and a few chairs, and only a handful of open spots, most of them on the couches. By the time the man Tokiya had seen yesterday would come in, the only spots were next to people. It happened that the man had chosen to take the open seat on the couch next to Tokiya. 

Tokiya doesn’t know what gets him to start talking. 

It’s likely loneliness. He misses Ren. 

And Tokiya wasn’t shy. Despite what his mom said. Despite what the kids thought. It was that no one ever seemed to respond to his attempts. 

He also likely wouldn’t have spoken to the man had the man not just been sitting there, doing seemingly nothing. 

“If you don’t mind me asking, are you from around here?” Tokiya glances up from his phone as he asks his quiet question. 

The man’s eyes turn towards Tokiya. He did have pretty eyes. “No.” Tokiya expects that to be the end of it, but after a beat or two, he continues. “Just got here two days ago. ‘M tryin’ to get things settled here.”

“Funny.” Tokiya gives a small smile. “I’m doing exactly the same thing.”

The man watches him for a long second. It makes Tokiya almost nervous, but then the man speaks again. “The name’s Ranmaru.”

“Tokiya.” 

Ranmaru lets out an acknowledging grunt. 

There’s a moment of silence, but before Tokiya can return to his phone, Ranmaru asks a question, though he speaks slowly, as if he’s unsure. “Where are you from, Tokiya?”

Tokiya would tell him. Ranmaru would tell him where Ranmaru had come from, too. But Ranmaru’s followup question hits close to home, for no reason that is Ranmaru’s fault. “Why’d you come here?”

“It felt right.” Tokiya answers quietly. He feels a pang in his chest. “I… just had to get out. So I just drove until I felt ready to stop, and it was here.”

Ranmaru nods. Tokiya feels like it’s a bit crazy, but Ranmaru isn’t openly showing that he thinks so. He probably would, if Tokiya said that he was encouraged by a friend that had never actually existed. Tokiya chooses to leave this out.

Ranmaru seems to think for a long second, perhaps debating on how much he wants to tell Tokiya. “I… get that. I burned a few bridges and just needed to leave, myself.”

Tokiya nods. They didn’t have exactly the same reasons, but they both couldn’t stay where they were. That was fair. 

They didn’t speak much after that, but the next day, Ranmaru sits back by Tokiya- though there had been an open chair or two. Tokiya wouldn’t lie, he had forgone a chair for a seat on a couch in hopes that he might get to speak to Ranmaru again. 

This time, Tokiya would be reading a book. His old, worn out copy of Peter Pan. He hadn’t had any luck yesterday with a living situation, but he had applied for a few jobs, and at this point, his only option was hoping and waiting. 

“Peter Pan, huh? I haven’t read that since I was a kid. It’s a good book.” Ranmaru’s comment is a bit gruff, but it would get a smile out of Tokiya. 

Tokiya found it surprising that he could manage a smile while reading this book right now- but Ranmaru had managed to draw it out of him. 

“It is.”

Something as simple as a book would have led them into another conversation. A conversation about their childhood, though Tokiya kept all of the seriousness out of his stories, and if Ranmaru had any trauma, he avoided his, too. 

With the exception of their fathers. Tokiya’s had left, Ranmaru’s had died. Neither had been torn up enough about it to choose to not mention it. 

Casual trauma, Tokiya guesses. 

They’d actually talk for a good few hours. It had started with their childhood, and then they would have revealed their ages. Ranmaru was seventeen, a year older than Tokiya. Tokiya was beginning to believe that they really may have more in common than he would have thought. 

They’d speak again the next day. 

They had discussed a bit about what they’ve been searching for. Tokiya had gotten contacted from two jobs, an interview for tomorrow and one for the day after that. One was retail, and the other was a restaurant. More of a fast food type than anything, but that was the only Tokiya would hope for the most. 

Ranmaru had a job set up before he had gotten there, having chosen his location before he had left. They both weren’t having any luck with finding anywhere to stay. 

Tokiya was a bit nervous. His money was beginning to run a bit low, even with as dirt cheap as this place was. He hoped he could start his job soon. 

As their conversation would begin to wrap up for the night, Ranmaru would rub the back of his neck. “Not tryin’ to be too forward or anythin’ but, I’ve found a couple ‘a places that were pretty cheap. Not one person cheap. We’re both lookin’ for places to stay. If you’re willin’ to settle for having a roommate, I’d bet we could afford one of the apartments with beginner level jobs.” Ranmaru begins to move, to leave back to his room. “Just an option to think over.”

Tokiya would think it over that night. 

The next day, after his interview for the restaurant, he’d tell Ranmaru that he’d be up for a roommate, but he’d be honest that he wasn’t necessarily familiar with a lot of… adult things. 

And that he didn’t have enough money for a deposit. 

“Don’t worry ‘bout that. I had a part time job before I got here. ‘S long as you’re good to help with the rent, I can cover getting it.” 

This was working out suspiciously well. 

Tokiya would have gotten the restaurant job, and it had taken a few tries, but Ranmaru and Tokiya would have gotten an apartment. 

Tokiya was wondering if they might end up as the type of roommates that spent most of their time in their respective rooms, but they didn’t. 

Ranmaru usually cooked, and he’d make enough for both of them. They spent a lot of time in the living room, at the same time. After they had both gotten their jobs settled, they actually played card games, during the time they were both off. 

Tokiya enjoyed the time he spent with Ranmaru. 

He never forgot about Ren, but having Ranmaru around made it easier to not have Ren. 

It would only take a few months of living together for them to have gotten entirely comfortable with each other. 

Tokiya gets confirmation that Ranmaru styled his hair, because he’d come out of his room with his hair flat. Tokiya also learns that Ranmaru’s eyes were both grey. That one he had learned at first from their shared bathroom, because the clear contact case held pink contacts. 

The last thing that Tokiya finds out is that Ranmaru played the bass. 

Towards the fourth month of living together, Ranmaru would have started to play in the living room every once in a while. Tokiya liked listening to him. 

When Tokiya opened up a bit more about how he was actually a teenage runaway, Ranmaru had seemed angry- but it wasn’t at him. 

“That’s fuckin’ stupid. I think you did the right thing. Leavin’. Kid or not, you shouldn’t stick around where you’re not bein’ appreciated.” 

Tokiya would have smiled. Ranmaru had gotten quite a few genuine smiles from Tokiya, and this was yet another one. Tokiya really had gotten lucky, meeting Ranmaru. 

Ranmaru felt like family. The closest thing to family that Tokiya really feels that he had. 

Tokiya could almost see Ren, smiling brightly at him.

He was free. He was happy. 

He had found where he had belonged.


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is my addition to the first fic- a first time posting.

“You’re not my family.” Tokiya’s voice is cold as he scowls, narrowing his eyes to keep the tears out of them. “I don’t _have_ a family.” 

Tokiya’s hand moves, pulling off the ring so roughly that his finger aches, and he slams it down on the island, turning to head out of the door. 

“Tokiya.” Ranmaru’s voice is sharp, but when he steps forward to follow, Tokiya shuts the door in his face, leaving the apartment. Tokiya doesn’t get far before he notices something- _someone_ , out of the corner of his eye. At first, when he turns, it’s to snap at Ranmaru again, but he stills, sobering, when he sees Ren. 

Ren looks very similar to how he did the last time Tokiya had seen him, years and years ago. Tokiya had been living with Ranmaru for nearly ten years, and they had been dating for seven of them. 

They have been engaged for one. 

But maybe that was over now. When Tokiya slammed his ring down on the counter, he really hadn’t considered exactly what that was going to entail. 

Tokiya finds his knees buckling underneath him. Ren’s return had sucked all of the anger out of him, and that left him with _nothing_. Tokiya couldn’t even find it in himself to regret everything he’s done yet. To regret the anger at Ranmaru. 

Ren can’t catch Tokiya. He just moves, to kneel down in front of Tokiya. 

“Why are you here?” Tokiya’s voice breaks. 

“I think you know why.” Ren says softly. “I think you need me.”

“I-I don’t! I’m _fine_.”

Ren doesn’t say anything, but he gives Tokiya a small, sad smile. Tokiya rubs harshly at his eyes. He isn’t crying yet, but he doesn’t want to start. 

It had been _ten years_. Ren had left when Tokiya had figured it out- he had been with Tokiya through the most difficult parts of Tokiya’s life, and Tokiya was _terrified_ to see him again.

Tokiya sits on the ground for a few very long moments. It was around ten at night, so there weren’t very many people around him, which was good, considering Tokiya was on his knees in the middle of the sidewalk, seemingly speaking to thin air. Ren was only ever real to Tokiya, after all.

“...I don’t know where to go, Ren.”

“You could always go back.”

“I can’t.” Tokiya hangs his head. “Not… not after that.”

“Tell me. Tell me what happened, Toki.”

“...It wasn’t his fault. I-” Tokiya’s voice breaks. “I lost my job. I’ve been trying to find another one, but I haven’t had any luck. And Ran’s just… I think he’s worried. I think he’s worried because when I’m not interviewing or searching I’m…”

“Stuck in bed?” Ren’s voice is soft.

“...Yeah.” Tokiya’s hands run over his face. When his hands pull away from his face, he looks exhausted. “He asked me to see someone tonight. He told me that he was really worried about me, and how I was handling everything, because I wouldn’t talk to him about it. ...I told him that it wasn’t his place to worry about me and he told me that it was, because he cared about me.”

“Then why don’t you think you can go back?”

“...I left my ring. If left is the word you can use for it. I wasn’t… I wasn’t really trying to break up with him, but how else do you take that?”

“Maybe you could talk to him, then.”

“I doubt that he’d want to see me right now.

“You’re shivering, Toki. He’s probably worried sick about you.”

“...Why are you so insistent that I go back, Ren?”

“Because I think you need each other.” Ren gives Tokiya a small smile, but it almost seems sad, to Tokiya. “You need someone, Toki. And I think you both work well together- and I think you both care about each other a lot. I know how you feel about him. And if you walk away now, it’s going to be a lot harder to fix this.”

“I don’t know what I could even tell him.”

“You could tell him that you’re sorry. And you could tell him the truth.”

“I don’t know what you mean.” Tokiya’s jaw tightens, and Ren sighs, shaking his head. 

“I could lay this out for you, Toki, but I shouldn’t. I can’t tell you what you should say. This isn’t something you should write a script for.”

Tokiya falls, to sit down on the ground fully. Ren was right- Tokiya can feel his entire body shaking with the cold. He hadn’t bothered to take anything but his shoes- and he was in a short sleeved shirt and a pair of thin sweatpants. His knees ached from his first fall, he wasn’t sure what time it was, and he has no concept of how much time had passed. He could have been outside for ten minutes, or for hours. “I don’t know why he’d want to listen to me.” Tokiya argues weakly. 

“Do you want to know why I left?” Ren’s gaze is intense, and Tokiya can’t meet it.

“I didn’t need you anymore. I passed the hard part of my life.”

“Not exactly.” Ren settles, too. To fully sit down on the ground. “Life isn’t ever going to be easy. And if I only showed up because things were _hard_ , I don’t know that I’d ever leave. But you _found someone_. You found someone that could help you, in the same way that I was.”

“And that’s why you’re back?” Tokiya mumbles. “Because I’ve lost him?”

“You haven’t. We both know that you haven’t. But I’m here because you could. You have to work for this. I think you’d be surprised, Toki- that he cares for you just as much as you care for him. You can’t walk back in there and pretend that nothing’s happened, of course- but you _can_ fix it.”

“Can I really?”

“If you try.” Ren’s voice is firm. “If you make an attempt, I’m sure that he’ll be responsive to it. Because I’d bet that he doesn’t want to throw all of this away either, Toki. It’s been ten years. It’s going to take more than this to force him away, you know. But you have to be willing to ask for his help and take it. I can’t believe you like being miserable, and I’m sure he doesn’t like watching you be miserable, either.” Tokiya gets quiet for a long moment, and Ren changes direction. “He tried to follow you, you know. You’re just very fast when you want to be. But he tried to stop you- you just didn’t listen. And I’d bet that he’d be out looking for you now- if he wasn’t hoping that you’d choose to come back yourself.”

“I don’t think that it will work.” Tokiya says quietly, but he moves, first onto his knees, and then standing. His pants are filthy, and ripped a bit at the knees. “I don’t know where I’m going to go if it doesn’t. I’ve only ever lived with Ran.”

Ren’s smile is sad. “If it doesn’t work, Toki, I don’t think I’m going to be going anywhere. We’ll figure something out, if we have to.”

The walk back is silent, but Ren walks side by side with Tokiya. Tokiya reaches his apartment, and he realizes that he hadn’t grabbed his phone, or his keys- or anything, really. He just left. 

Tokiya knocks softly on the door, and just as he’s about to give up and get comfortable on the floor outside of the apartment, the door opens. 

The first thing that Tokiya notices is the ring that Ranmaru’s holding- the ring Tokiya had slammed down on the counter. Tokiya isn’t sure how long he’s been gone, but the fight shows on Ranmaru’s face- he’s too tired to even try to hide how hard he had taken it. 

Tokiya swallows hard, lowering his head. “I’m… sorry, Ran. ...I’m sorry.”

“Will you come back in, Toki?” Ranmaru’s voice is rough. It’s low and quiet. 

Tokiya nods, and Ranmaru steps back, holding the door open. Tokiya walks in, not raising his head. 

Tokiya isn’t sure exactly what he expects- but Ren follows him in. Ranmaru clearly doesn’t see him, but Tokiya guesses that it’d be stranger if he could.

Tokiya glances at Ranmaru’s phone, lying on the coffee table, and he notices that it’s just past midnight. He hears the door close behind him, and a few seconds later there’s a blanket draped over his shoulders that Ranmaru had grabbed from the chair. Tokiya had barely even realized that he was still shaking. 

“Your pants ‘r torn.” Ranmaru mumbles. “Give me a second ‘t grab you new clothes.”

Tokiya doesn’t say anything. He just pulls the blanket tighter around himself, not meeting Ranmaru’s eyes. Ranmaru comes back with a new pair of sweatpants for Tokiya, but Tokiya’s stiff fingers feel stuck, bent into the blanket, and he watches Ranmaru’s hands numbly. Ranmaru does give him a few seconds, giving Tokiya time to decide- and then he crouches down in front of Tokiya, pulling down his pants. 

When Tokiya’s tears land on his cheeks, they burn like fire. He has to reach down, to hold onto Ranmaru’s shoulders so that he doesn’t fall over when Ranmaru makes Tokiya step out of his pants, but his frown is deeply etched into his face when Tokiya’s hands land over his shirt, freezing cold even through Ranmaru’s shirt. “You’re gonna get sick, sittin’ outside like that for hours.” Ranmaru gets Tokiya’s pants off, but he can’t help Tokiya put on the new pair before Tokiya’s knees give out, and Ranmaru barely catches Tokiya before he hits the floor. Ranmaru’s eyes are just a bit too wide, but when he’s over the surprise of Tokiya’s fall, his face becomes wary as his eyes search over Tokiya’s face. Tokiya slumps forward, and his forehead presses to Ranmaru’s neck. Ranmaru winces, but before Tokiya can pull back, his hand lands on the back of Tokiya’s head. “You can’t do this, Tokiya.” Ranmaru’s voice is stern, and tense. “Runnin’ out by yourself late at night. I don’t like fightin’ with you in the first place, but I wish you’d just _stayed_. Even if you had ‘t go in the other room ‘t not talk to me. You could’ve gotten real fucking hurt, ‘n then what? You didn’t have anythin’ on you ‘n I had no idea where you went.”

Tokiya can’t muster up the physical or the emotional energy to pull away from Ranmaru, but he starts crying harder. 

“Jesus, Toki.” One of Ranmaru’s hands stays on Tokiya’s head, the other wrapping around Tokiya. Ranmaru feels almost feverishly warm against him. 

Perhaps the real reminder was Ren- but Tokiya’s own words echo through his head. His parting words, before he had left- and it only hits him harder that Ranmaru really was all that he had. He hasn’t had a job in months, and without his job, Ranmaru was the only one he even spoke to. He hadn’t made any friends that were willing to stick with him after he was let go. 

That wasn’t the same case for Ranmaru- he had a band. It wasn’t a very popular band, but he had friends. He had a group that he went out drinking with sometimes from his own work. But he _chose_ to spend his time with Tokiya. 

“...I- I was cruel to you.” Tokiya’s voice is weak, and it shakes as his teeth chatter. “I’m sorry.”

“We’ll talk about this.” Ranmaru says quietly, rubbing Tokiya’s back over the blanket. “But not right now. Let’s get you taken care ‘a first, ‘n then get ‘t sleep. It’s real late.”

“Am I why you’re still up…?”

“I was worried.” Ranmaru’s voice is a bit flat. “Don’t think I could’a slept if I tried.”

Tokiya shifts, though with Ranmaru’s grip it isn’t easy. He sees Ren, sitting on the couch, just watching them. Ren’s expression stays gentle, but his eyebrow raises- as if he’s trying to prove a point. 

Tokiya doesn’t think that he deserves Ranmaru’s worry- but he’d be stupid to deny that it’s there. 

“Can ya stand? You’re not hurt, are you?”

“I’m not.” Tokiya’s voice is soft. Tokiya’s legs feel heavy, like lead, and they’re shaking too hard to get up without help. Even when he’s standing, after Ranmaru’s helped lift him to his feet, it feels hard to stay upright. Tokiya’s eyes drift to the dirty pants, and he closes his eyes, his grip on Ranmaru’s arm tightening, just a bit. “Oh, God, those were yours, weren’t they? I ruined them. I’m sorry.”

Ranmaru has to take a second, glancing at the pair of ruined sweats to connect the dots, and he clicks his tongue. “They’re pants, Toki. But I noticed that yer knees were pretty torn up, ‘n I’m a lot more worried about that.”

“I…” Tokiya glances away, his eyes downcast. “You shouldn’t be treating me like this after everything.” Tokiya can almost feel Ren’s scolding stare. “I acted like a child, and I worried you, and I kept you up- you… you should just go to sleep. I can take care of what-” Tokiya is stopped, when Ranmaru’s hand lifts. His hand moves to Tokiya’s jaw, tilting his head up, but his thumb lands over Tokiya’s lips, stopping him from speaking.

“‘M not just gonna forget everything that happened tonight. Whether you really meant it, or you just had a break, we’ll figure it out later. But right now, you’re in a terrible fuckin’ shape and I’m gonna take care of you. That’s all that matters right now, alright?”

Ranmaru hasn’t moved his thumb from Tokiya’s lips, so Tokiya merely gives a small nod. 

“Good. Let’s take care of your knees, ‘n then I’ll see if I can find my old electric blanket.”

Ranmaru helps support Tokiya to the bathroom, using his free hand to grab the clean pair of pants before they leave the living room, and he settles Tokiya on the toilet seat as soon as he can. Tokiya is still wearing the blanket. 

Ranmaru gets a cheap first-aid kit from under the sink. The only reason they had it was because Tokiya would sometimes come home with burns when he was working at the restaurant- and while Tokiya was never all that concerned, Ranmaru had gone out to get the kit, insistent that they _would_ be dealing with the injuries, no matter how small. Tokiya could argue almost anything- but Ranmaru wouldn’t accept any arguments regarding Tokiya’s health.

Ranmaru is quiet, as he works on cleaning the bit of blood from Tokiya’s knees. He must have hit some type of loose shard or rock or something on the ground when he fell. He still doesn’t feel the sting, even as Ranmaru disinfects the cuts. He feels like a child, with the band aids on both of his knees. He can’t remember the last time he had gotten an injury like this.

Ranmaru helps him put on the clean pair of pants, after his knees are taken care of. Tokiya doesn’t see Ren- but he has a feeling that Ren isn’t gone yet, and it makes him worried. 

Is Ren still here because Tokiya isn’t sure if he can fix this, or because there’s a possibility that he really can’t?

“Stay ‘ere for a minute, alright? ‘M gonna go try ‘t find that blanket.” Ranmaru pushes himself up, to leave the bathroom. He’s not gone long when Tokiya notices movement at the door- but one glance at the bright orange hair makes it clear that it isn’t Ranmaru. Ren steps further into the bathroom, leaning against the wall. 

“He’s a good guy.” Ren gives Tokiya a soft smile. “I think I left you in good hands.”

Tokiya’s voice is so quiet it’s almost inaudible. “But you’re still here.”

“Pushing me out so soon?” Ren teases. “But I’m going to stay until _I_ know you’re okay- and until you believe that, too.”

“Do you think I’m not going to be…?”

“I think you are. But I don’t think _you_ believe that. If he wasn’t willing to make things better, why is he so worried about you?” When Tokiya is silent, Ren gives him a sad smile. “Trust him. You’ve been with him for almost a decade. He asked you to marry him, and you said yes, right? It’s going to take more than one rough patch to make him give up on you. But that means that you can’t give up on yourself, either, all right?” 

If Tokiya wants to answer, or Ren wants to continue- they can’t, because Ranmaru reenters the bathroom to help Tokiya up. Tokiya goes, almost a bit numbly. 

Ranmaru has the electric blanket set up on the bed, and he takes the blanket from around Tokiya’s shoulders as Tokiya fumbles himself into the bed. Ranmaru tucks him in, under the rapidly warming blanket, and it’s less than a minute of being under it when he’s hit with a wave of exhaustion. He feels Ranmaru get under the blanket, next to Tokiya. Ranmaru’s hand makes its way onto Tokiya’s side, and Ranmaru’s chest presses to his back. 

Ranmaru’s voice is a mumble. “Get ‘t sleep, babe.”

“I shouldn’t.” Tokiya mumbles, though even his voice sounds tired. His trembles are already slowing, and it’s only making his body feel heavier. “We can’t leave this plugged in all night.”

“I’ve got it.” Ranmaru reassures. “I won’t burn the house down. So you rest, alright?”

“...If you’re sure.”

“‘M positive.”

Tokiya might argue more, under different circumstances, but he lets himself fall asleep. 

When he wakes up, the electric blanket is gone, though he’s under both the comforter from the bed and the blanket from the couch, and the bed is empty. When he fumbles his way out of the cocoon of blankets, his eyes fall onto his night stand, and he notices the silver band, next to the lamp. The same ring he had parted with last night. 

He wants to take it- but he doesn’t. 

When he makes his way out to the living room, Ranmaru’s eyes glance to Tokiya’s hand, and when he glances away, his expression is darker. 

When he doesn’t say anything about it, Tokiya does, almost surprised at Ranmaru’s expression. “...I’m not trying to reject the ring.” Tokiya’s voice is steadier than last night, though it’s still a bit hoarse. “I just wasn’t sure that I had a right to wear it.”

“If I wasn’t hopin’ that you’d put it back on, I wouldn’t ‘a left it there.”

“Really?” Tokiya’s voice is almost careful, suppressing the surprise. He sees Ren shake his head, from a spot further back on the couch. Ren looks almost a bit sad, seeing Tokiya’s current interaction. 

“Really.” Ranmaru grunts. He reaches up, a hand sliding over his face, and his voice seems strained. “With how it is right now- ‘m gonna give ya the only choice I can really think of.” Ranmaru watches Tokiya, but his expression is guarded, too. “If you really meant everythin’ you said last night, don’t put back on the ring. ...Obviously, that means our engagement’s off, but if ya meant what you said last night, I don’t think it should still be on anyways. That doesn’t mean we’ve gotta cut contact, ‘r avoid each other or have hard feelings. We can still work on things. Just not… not like that.” Ranmaru’s clearly trying not to show his personal opinion, laying down Tokiya’s choices- but Tokiya knows Ranmaru well enough to see right through the expression, and he knows that option hurts Ranmaru to think about. That Ranmaru’s worried that’s the route Tokiya will choose. “Or you could put on the ring ‘n we can _talk about this_. We can figure somethin’ out, ‘n we can make a battle plan. But you’ve gotta try, Toki. We can’t just forget about last night ‘n pretend like it never happened. ‘M not gonna let this turn toxic, because if our relationship ain’t healthy, then why ‘re we in it?”

Tokiya nods, and Ranmaru sighs. 

“If you need a minute ‘t figure things out, then take it. If you don’t take the ring, we can’t just take it back, ‘n I’m not gonna play around with an on ‘n off relationship. If you take it, we’re fixin’ this.”

Ranmaru’s hand runs over his face again, and he looks down. Perhaps giving Tokiya an opportunity to head somewhere, to think about it. 

Tokiya goes back into the room- and Ren follows him in. Tokiya hears Ren’s sigh of relief when Tokiya doesn’t hesitate to take the ring. It takes him a second, to put it back on, but he does. 

“I think you’re making the right choice, Toki.” Ren says gently. “And not just in staying with Ranmaru. I think you need help, and I think he’s going to make sure you get it. I’m proud of you.”

That one sentence cuts right through Tokiya, and he has to lift his hand, wiping at his eyes. 

“I miss you.” Tokiya admits quietly. “It’s not worth it, to try to not fix things with Ran, because I love him, too. But I don’t want to go through losing you again, Ren.”

“I know it’s painful, Toki. I wish I could stay. But I’m not going to leave until you’re really going to be okay. But just talk to him. The way you just talked to me right now.”

Tokiya nods, and he sighs, closing his eyes. “I should get out there. I don’t want him to think it took me this long to decide.” 

Ren steps out of the way, for Tokiya to leave, and Tokiya heads back to the living room. Ranmaru looks a bit relieved, to see the ring on Tokiya’s finger. “Come over ‘ere, Toki. We need ‘t talk about last night.”

Tokiya nods, and he moves to sit besides Ranmaru. “What happened?” Ranmaru asks, shifting to turn to properly look at Tokiya. 

“...I feel guilty, Ran.” Tokiya admits quietly. It wasn’t easy- to get his tongue and brain to connect, to speak honestly, but with Ren’s intense gaze and Ranmaru’s poorly hidden concern, he does. “I’m really trying to find a job, but I’ve just been having such difficulty with it. But I can’t help but think about how that leaves all of the financial pressure on you, and I feel like a freeloader. And just because I’m trying, that doesn’t make it better. It’s hard not to be stuck on how poorly I’m doing- but what right do I really have to throw any of this on you? You’re already balancing enough, without my self-obsessed whining about how terrible I am. ...And I’m aware that for every moment I sit there dwelling on it, it only makes it worse- but I don’t want to talk to anyone else, and I don’t feel right talking to you… Ran… there was only ever one person who really cared about how I felt when I was a kid. I’m not used to people caring about what I’m feeling, or pushing me, to know what I’m thinking.” Tokiya’s voice softens. “What I said to you was wrong, Ran.” Tokiya carefully takes Ranmaru’s hand. “You’re all I have. ...You’ve been my family for years. But I didn’t want to tell you what was wrong, and I know that the reason you wouldn’t back off is because you were worried- but I couldn’t think of another way to get you to stop asking. I should have just told you.” Tokiya closes his eyes. “And I’m sorry. But I agreed to marry you because I love you, and I still do. I’m just afraid. I’ve been punished for being myself, and I’ve been told that everything I do, and everything I am for a very long time. It’s nerve-wracking, trying to fight what I’ve grown to learn, and even after years of you… not doing that… it’s still hard, Ran.”

“I wish you’d just do _this_ Toki. Talk ‘t me. ‘N you’re not always terrible at it, but when you are… Jesus. You can get painfully bad, babe. Obviously, with how last night played out. But I wanna help you, Toki, you’ve just gotta let me. I can’t lie. It sucks that ten years later it’s still hard fer you ‘t talk to me. But I get that it’s an engrained behavior. ‘N of course I love you, too. ‘S why I asked you ‘t marry me, ‘n why I’m glad that you put that ring back on. I’m not just gonna drop the topic, when ya let me know you’re not used ‘t people carin’ for ya, but I can try ‘t take in in a different way. I can try ‘t move slower for ya, or ‘t figure somethin’ else out- but you can’t threaten ‘t leave me every time I push ya.” Ranmaru squeezes Tokiya’s hand. “Just talk ‘t me. Just like this. I know it ain’t easy, but I’m not gonna stop worryin’ over you. It’s my responsibility as your boyfriend, ‘n my job, when I’m yer husband. But ‘s far as your concerns- they’re valid, babe, but you don’t need ‘t worry about it. You tryin’ is enough for now, ‘n I’m keepin’ us both afloat fine. ‘N I can, until you find a job. What _I’m_ worried about is your health.”

“My health?” Tokiya frowns. 

“Mostly yer mental health. I know the signs ‘a depression, ‘n I think you do, too. I think we both know that you’ve got it bad right now. ‘N with that comes bad self-care habits, ‘n that’s affectin’ your physical health, too. ...I’d really like ya ‘t go visit a professional, but with everythin’ you told me considered, I dunno that it’d help you very much right now.”

“You’re right.” Tokiya says grimly. “It wouldn’t. I can’t justify spending the money to see them, and I can’t promise I’d even end up speaking honestly with them as it is.” Tokiya’s attention is primarily on Ranmaru, but he doesn’t miss Ren’s frown.

Ranmaru sighs. “Yeah. ‘S what I was worried you’d say. But if you won’t see a professional, you’ve _gotta_ let me help. ‘M no therapist, but I’ll listen ‘t how you’re feelin’ ‘n do what I can, ‘s long as you’re talkin’ ‘t me right. I can make sure you’re takin’ care of yourself, ‘s long as you let me. ‘N under the circumstances that you’re lettin’ me try to help you, I won’t make you see a professional. Least not yet.”

Tokiya swallows hard- and then he nods. “I… it won’t be easy.” Tokiya warns. “And I’d like to make it clear that it… it isn’t easy for me at all. The way I’m talking to you right now may be the most honest I’ve been in… quite possibly _ever_. I can’t just press a button and change…” Tokiya’s eyebrows furrow. “But I’ll try. I do really want to make us work, Ran. We’ve worked this far. I don’t want to ruin us.”

“You won’t.” Ranmaru assures with another squeeze of Tokiya’s hand. “Now that you’ve told me how ya feel, I won’t let ya. ‘M not expectin’ you ‘t just get better right away. It’s been too long that I’ve let this slide, ‘n we should’a been workin’ on this a long fuckin’ time ago, ‘n that’s as much my fault as it is yours. There ‘r no innocent parties here. But it’s all fixable. ‘N that’s what we’re gonna do. We’re gonna fuckin’ fix it.” Ranmaru lets go of Tokiya’s hand, and as he turns Tokiya’s head, to press a short but meaningful kiss to Tokiya’s lips- Tokiya notices Ren’s smile.

A few months later, Tokiya has made his way to a more secluded corner, his face already pained. 

“Don’t look so sad, Toki.” Ren says gently. “Today is a happy day.”

“But this is a goodbye.” Tokiya says grimly. It isn’t a question, because he knows the answer, and Tokiya’s sad smile only proves it further.

“You have Ranmaru. And I think he is exactly who you need. You’re going to be just fine, Toki.” Ren gives Tokiya a bright smile. “All I want for you is to be happy. And I think you’ve finally found your happiness Tokiya.” Ren lifts his hand, and Tokiya finds his smile bittersweet. His hand is closed into a loose fist- and then he opens his hands, blowing on his seemingly empty palm, and he winks. “This is pixie dust. All you have to do to stay happy is believe that you can be. Believe in _yourself_.”

“This is it… huh?” Tokiya says quietly. He can feel tears brimming in his eyes already. “I’m never going to see you again, am I?”

Ren’s only answer is a sad smile.

“...What if I need you?” Tokiya’s voice breaks.

His answer doesn’t come from Ren- because he feels arms, wrapping around his waist. His head is tilted to the side, and Ranmaru’s face is very close to his face, and there is a heavy layer of concern under his expression. “‘R you alright, babe?”

Tokiya can feel his lower lip tremble, biting his bottom lip, and Ranmaru can see the oncoming cries. There’s a familiarity that shows in Ranmaru’s expression- the same one that Tokiya’s thinking about. When Ranmaru found him, crying in his car. But this time, Ranmaru isn’t going to accept any answer from Tokiya that isn’t the truth. Ranmaru’s arms tighten further. 

“C’mon. Let’s go ‘t the bathroom.”

They were at the reception of their wedding- and while Tokiya was in a spot that was just a bit more secluded, it wasn’t nearly secluded enough for Tokiya to break down. Ranmaru leads Tokiya to the bathroom of the venue with a tight arm around his shoulders, and when they’re in the one person bathroom, Ranmaru locks the door and focuses on Tokiya. 

And this is where the answer Ren never gave him really strikes Tokiya. 

Ren wouldn’t be coming back, because Tokiya had Ranmaru. The ring almost feels heavier on his finger, as he’s reminded- but when he pictures Ren’s sad smile in his head, he bursts into sobs. Ranmaru _does_ move forward, to comfort Tokiya, but Tokiya moves first, into Ranmaru’s arms. One of Ranmaru’s hands wraps protectively around Tokiya, and the other lifts to Tokiya’s head, cradling it against Ranmaru’s shoulder. “What happened?” Ranmaru is clearly beyond concerned at this point, and until he speaks again, Tokiya is confused by the edge in his voice. “No one said anythin’ ‘t you, did they?”

The anger in Ranmaru’s voice makes Tokiya cry harder, tightening his arms around Ranmaru. It takes a long second to get out what he’s trying to say. “No-” Tokiya hiccups. “It’s not that.” 

Ranmaru’s eyebrows furrow, his hand rubbing Tokiya’s back. “Then let’s try ‘t calm down, ‘n then we’ll talk about what’s goin’ on.”

Tokiya manages a nod, but it takes quite a few moments for Tokiya to calm down. There had been at least two knocks, and Ranmaru had been very quick to dismiss them. Tokiya couldn’t bring himself to feel bad, hogging the bathroom. Even when Tokiya stops crying, he doesn’t pull away from Ranmaru- not that Ranmaru is likely to let him. “You’re going to think it’s dumb. Or that I’m crazy. And maybe both.” Tokiya mumbles, his voice a bit hoarse.

Ranmaru sighs. “Doubt it. I’ve heard ya out this far ‘aven’t I?”

“...That’s the only reason I’m telling you this.” Tokiya admits. “I’ve never once mentioned it to anyone else.” Tokiya sighs, leaning heavier against Ranmaru. “When I was little, I had a friend named Ren. He was… virtually a very, very real imaginary friend, and he stuck with me for years and years, during the worst time of my life. And then, on the day I left- the day I met _you_... he left. That was the day you met me, crying in my car. He had been gone for ten years… and then, on the night a while back when I left our home and took off my ring, he came back. I think that was the worst night of my life. And then he stuck around. ...He’s what made me come back, actually. I was afraid to talk to you, and he told me that I had to. He convinced me that it wasn’t too late to fix things, or to go back, and if I hadn’t… If he hadn’t been there… I think I would have been too afraid to go back to you. But he stayed- until just now. And I don’t think he’s coming back. But I know this probably sounds stupid, or like I’m being dramatic, or that I’m insane, to have a friend like that but…”

“I wish you wouldn’t assume what ‘m gonna think, Toki.” Ranmaru’s voice is gruff. “‘Cause I don’t think it’s stupid. I think it’s what you needed ‘t cope, ‘n I don’t disagree with it. It got you through your childhood, and it got you back ‘t my apartment, to help us get back on track. ‘N I’m sorry. How much it obviously hurts you, ‘t lose ‘im.” Ranmaru presses a kiss against Tokiya’s hair. “I can’t really make that better, no matter how much I wish I could. But I _don’t_ think that’s dumb or crazy ‘t be upset over it. ‘N whatever you can, or need ‘ta talk about, I’ll be here for you ‘t talk about it.”

Tokiya’s fingers work their way into Ranmaru’s suit jacket, and his voice breaks. “Thank you, Ran.” He stays quiet, for a long moment, and his eyes close. “I think I know why he left. And why he won’t be coming back. If you want to hear it.”

“‘Course I do.”

Despite the still drying tears, and the sadness that hasn’t quite faded- Tokiya smiles. “It’s because I have you.”


End file.
